Higher Education Students' Social Media Platforms and Purpose

This report investigates the utilization of social media platforms by higher education (HE) students, focusing on the specific platforms employed and the purposes they serve. The introduction highlights the prevalence of social media in students' lives, noting its role in connecting with peers and ac...Read More

Research Skills and
Using Information

Contents
Topic: The use of social media by higher education (HE) students – which platforms and for
what purposes..................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Description of literature and data....................................................................................................3
Process used to select the literature and data including a discussion on how to ensure references
are reputable and reliable.................................................................................................................4
Summary of the literature and data. Summarise the literature and explain why the data is
important to the readers of the report or your sector.......................................................................5
Evaluation of the relevance and reliability of the literature sources...............................................6
Reflection.........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Topic: The use of social media by higher education (HE) students – which
platforms and for what purposes.
INTRODUCTION
The topic which is selected in this report is the use of social media by higher education
students- which platforms and for what purposes. Social media platform is being mostly used by
organisation in order to promote their products and services. But now a days, higher students are
using various social media platforms in order to connect with various other persons and gaining
knowledge about a particular topic or a company. further social media channels like Facebook,
twitter and Instagram etc. are used by higher students. this plays important role in higher
education in everyday life (Ahmad, and et.al., 2021). But on the other hand, the some of the
parents and teachers find it negative distractions that could influence students. Students use these
social media platforms for enhancing their knowledge and skills they learn many things through
these social media. Purpose through which students use social media for getting support of their
research answering a specific research question. This helps students in presenting their results
and highlighting some of the related issues and challenges that could be along with the possible
solutions. This report includes presentation of literature, evaluation of the reliability and
relevance. Summary of literature review and appropriate methods used in the research.
Description of literature and data
According to SEGAREN, 2020, Social Media platforms are the most important for higher
education students nowadays. as the research shows that social media can be the platform of
learning as this consists of various other channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc (Ali,
2021). as social media platforms help teachers to connect with the students and make the
engagement with the students more interesting and relatable. during the time of this covid-19
pandemic most of the teachers and schools are using the social media sites to engage with the
students and by their students will be able to learn many other things and complete their reports
and projects. social media platforms can becomes interacting with the teachers and making
familiar with other knowledge topics in their daily lives (The important role of social media in
higher education, 2020). On the other hand, students use social media platforms to collect
information about the customers and developing their knowledge and awareness about the
products which is on social media. They also gain information about a research topic which they

have to complete their project. also, they can do survey through this social media website. The
problems that come while using the social media is that some of their students are not well
enough to effectively use the new and updated technologies. so, they find difficulty in reaching
out with the teachers and gaining more information. also, sometimes there is a network issues in
this and students could not complete their projects on time. in this covid-19 pandemic higher
education students using Facebook as an online social media platform to effectively reach to
their teachers and share their information.
From the views of Remillard, Nagel, 2020, social media is bringing both benefits and
limitations. as Twitter in the classroom does not provide positive impact on perception of
students of the learning experience (Allman‐Farinelli, and Nour, 2021). Twitter also works
effectively for the management of classroom and the clarity about the expectation of
assignments. on the other hand, social media helps the teacher in engagement and connecting
with the students. but it does not develop the critical thinking of students as it provides making
connection with the course material and the cases of real-world. The purpose through which
students of higher education is using various social media channels and platforms by making
connection with their teachers and learning more about their topic in order to complete their
assignments (Findings on Student Use of social media, 2020). Sometimes it distracts students
from their studies. So, students should have to keep this in mind that they should not use these
social media sites very much.
Process used to select the literature and data including a discussion on how to
ensure references are reputable and reliable
Literature search can be a systematic and well organising search as it is developed from
already publishing data information from a good quality of references about a specific topic.
there can be various reasons for conducting a literature search because it helps the investigators
in getting more knowledge and in depth information about a particular topic. it includes drawing
information about an evidence based work and also it is a part of academic assessment (Holzer,
and et.al., 2021). the main purpose of literature review is that it formulates research question and
evaluate the accurate results about a given topic.
Research problem is considered with the topic of interest and family to the researcher. the
research problem which investigator faced in this particular research is sometimes not getting
true knowledge about a topic and sometimes there is a fake knowledge about topic by any writer.

Research methodology that is being used in this particular research is inductive method
because this will help the researcher in getting information through qualitative resources on a
given time period. Also, this helps them in getting reducing on the cost.
Research choice is the next method that is being used in this research. as it consists of two
options that is qualitative and quantitative research (Spiel, and Schober, 2021). For this particular
result investigator is focusing on qualitative research because it helps them in getting theoretical
knowledge about this topic and also getting various information about a particular topic from
different authors.
Data analysis- in this particular research, researcher is making use of secondary research in
order to collect in- dept information about a topic.
Summary of the literature and data. Summarise the literature and explain
why the data is important to the readers of the report or your sector.
The given report is on the use of social media by higher education students. Social Media is
very effective for higher education students in order to search the knowledge about their
assignments and achieve their objectives. nowadays it helps the students in taking online classes
and connecting with their teachers. this helps them in developing more knowledge. There are
various social media platform that has been used by higher education students these are Twitter,
Facebook and YouTube etc. as these help students in engaging with their teachers and getting
relatable and interesting report. On the other hand, students sometimes distract with this platform
while getting knowledge sometimes go to other apps while searching for their related topics.
student should have to considered these things while using social media platforms. This literature
is important to the readers because it provide in-depth knowledge about a particular topic and
also this helps the readers in getting more knowledge about this social media platform which is
being used by higher education students. this literature is based on the use of social media
platforms. Social media consists of various form that is vlogs, blogs and Virtual communications
and instant messages (Jayadeva, and et.al., 2021). Facebook is largely used by students to get
emerge with their large number of members. also, it allows students to share their content and
building relationships with their teachers by doing meetings. nowadays there is a rapid rise of
social media platform is it provides for the learning and teaching and endeavour. Social media
nowadays is effectively used by higher education students for learning various languages,

writing development, making communication, after class discussion, circular tools and
community buildings.
Social media in higher education changing the relationship between teachers and
students. also, it helps the students in communicating well with their teachers accessing
information and providing information to them. Apart from this their social media also create
awareness and advertising. It helps them in getting more knowledge about changing policies, job
vacancies, various events and the new research programs. Higher education students use this
social media only for searching of job vacancies and learning new courses. This topic is
important for the readers because it is essential to know about the use of social media platforms
and how the students are using these platforms in their daily life (Monfared, and et.al., 2021).
Because readers should also know about how this could help students and how on the other hand
it can distract them to from their goals. social media platform like virtual communication is the
platform which is being used by teachers and students both for connecting them with each other
and discussion of their topics. Next platform can be used by students is Facebook as it helps
them in connecting with large number of members and sharing their contents. as this could be
helpful for the readers to get to know about the advantages and disadvantages of the social media
and how the students are using them for what purposes. readers should know what should be like
or dislike by them. Reading this literature students will be able to get to know more knowledge
about advantages of social media.
Evaluation of the relevance and reliability of the literature sources
Evaluation of the relevance of sources:
In this particular research the books are being selected from the particular sources that is
required for this research paper. Information is relevant when it helps the researcher in answering
of the questions of research. there is a researcher has identified a relevant source which is related
with the given topic of use of social media in higher education students.
Evaluation of reliability of sources:
Reliability is referring to making sure that information is correct and the objectives of
information are also correct (Muljana, and Luo, 2021). The researcher in this given research is
using quality of information which helps them in developing new and accurate results. The
content which is collected through literature review is accurate because it consists of description
of different authors who are developing the knowledge more. Then objectivity of the information

is the primary goals of researcher, the information which is collected is consisting of hard facts
and opinions. And there is a view provided of different authors on same topic.
Reflection
First of all, I am happy to get this research as this research helps me in developing my
knowledge and skills about use of social media in higher education students. I have developed
my various skills like time management skills and problem solving skills. these helps me in
identifying accurate knowledge and reliability of the information. My major weaknesses are
communication skills and decision making skills. as these skills are also enhanced by conducting
this research about the topic. I have made use of secondary information in this research as this is
through literature review. A literature review helps me in getting in-depth knowledge about a
particular topic and I have calculated verified and actual result through this. Further, I have made
a presentation of this topic so that this will helps me in getting accurate points of the given
research. I have taken use of various sources that through books, journals and articles and this
results in getting accurate results. Then there are some of the methods which are used in this
research to get true knowledge about a topic. Then I have made evaluation of reliability and
relevance of their literature source which I have used in this research. This research will help me
in my near future in my personal and professional development.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ahmad, N and et.al., 2021. CSR communication through social media: A litmus test for banking
consumers’ loyalty. Sustainability, 13(4), p.2319.
Ali, B.J., 2021. Assessing (The impact) of advertisement on customer decision making: Evidence
from an educational institution. Ali, BJ (2021). Assessing (The impact) of advertisement
on customer decision making: Evidence from an educational institution. Afak for
Science Journal, 6(01), pp.267-280.
Allman‐Farinelli, M. and Nour, M., 2021. Exploring the role of social support and social media
for lifestyle interventions to prevent weight gain with young adults: Focus group
findings. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 34(1), pp.178-187.
Holzer, J and et.al., Spiel, C. and Schober, B., 2021. Higher education in times of COVID-19:
University students’ basic need satisfaction, self-regulated learning, and well-
being. Aera Open, 7, p.23328584211003164.
Jayadeva, S and et.al., 2021. Are Spanish students customers? Paradoxical perceptions of the
impact of marketisation on higher education in Spain. Sociological Research
Online, 26(1), pp.185-204.
Monfared, A.R.K and et.al., 2021. The role of social commerce in online purchase intention:
mediating role of social interactions, trust, and electronic word of mouth. Journal for
International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 13(1), pp.22-39.
Muljana, P.S. and Luo, T., 2021. Utilizing learning analytics in course design: voices from
instructional designers in higher education. Journal of Computing in Higher
Education, 33(1), pp.206-234.
Saura, J.R., Palacios-Marqués, D. and Iturricha-Fernández, A., 2021. Ethical design in social
media: Assessing the main performance measurements of user online behavior
modification. Journal of Business Research, 129, pp.271-281.
Tsao, S.F and et.al., 2021. What social media told us in the time of COVID-19: a scoping
review. The Lancet Digital Health.
Online
The important role of social media in higher education, 2020. [online] Available through <
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/the-important-role-of-social-media-in-higher-
education/>
Findings on Student Use of social media, 2020. [online] Available through
<https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1173809.pdf >